Packable Camp Table

I just use one of those cheap roll-up aluminum tables from K-Mart. Packs in a duffle along with my chair/sleeping mat/tent strapped across the pillion seat. Just under the width of the panniers and if it breaks, it was only $15 and I can find another pretty much at any store.

I use this one
packs in the lid of a jesse and with the kermit chair it is good height etc.

Not very big but for keeping sand and dirt off your mug and breakfast/dinner plate it is handy. Plus using it on a camp table to have a camp light a bit higher and hold other small items is a neat thing.

Great, I think I paid $40 for one of those a few years ago...now K Mart has them for $15! They really are good sturdy tables though.

drecian said:

I just use one of those cheap roll-up aluminum tables from K-Mart. Packs in a duffle along with my chair/sleeping mat/tent strapped across the pillion seat. Just under the width of the panniers and if it breaks, it was only $15 and I can find another pretty much at any store.

Check out Sportsmansguide.com I just picked up 2 tables similar to the REI for $9.97 ea plus ups. They are made for Kelty and fold down to the size of on of the small armless folding chairs . they show $19.97 but if you call in an order they found a listing for the $9.97 price on a closeout.

Seriously, for the OP, Sometimes I've used my taller luggage box as a table while sitting on the shorter one---to cut up some meat or fiddle with the stove. But I've never really wanted a table but not had one and thought, "gee, if only I was carrying a table". I did look at some of the stuff on the Touratech site, pretty slick and some looked compact as well. I dunno. I get pretty feral pretty fast when I camp (heck, at home too). I look for a campsite that has something to work with, Part of the fun is taking whatever you find and with a bit of knowledge and cleverness, making yourself comfortable. If I get into carrying all the comforts (including furniture) of home the endgame is just going out in a motorhome---or a GL1800 at least.

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+1. I looked at camping tables and then realised I've never ever missed not having one, or looked at someone else's with envy. No disrespect to those who want to take them, but I honestly cannot think of a situation where I'd use one. I tend to cook in my porch, lying down in the sleeping compartment of my tent. I usually eat the same way. Stove/cans etc. go on the floor. If it's really muddy/waterlogged, they go on top of something that is already dirty/wet on one side (which goes dirty side down) or a carrier bag. Only time I can see myself wanting one would be to play cards on and a card table would be overkill and a thermarest usually makes a reasonable enough stand in.

Still, a lot of people think I'm comfort-hungry for taking a camping pillow. Horses for courses, I suppose. If I were to get one, something that took advantage of the panniers would probably be what I'd go for.

Heres our camp table. I'm afraid I can't tell you where I got it, as it's more than 25 years old, but I wouldn't be without it. It measures 2ft X 1ft X 20 inches high and folds down flat pack to around an inch high.
Heres a pic of my 11 year old son cooking breakfast. Once food is cooked, we remove the stove and theres plenty room for 2 people to use the table top. The wind guard is worth its weight in gold when its used for cooking. Usually we have it set up outside, but it was raining the day this photo was taken.

The wind guard is removable (obviously) and we also use it for sheltering the bbq's.

First I changed the pivot points of the table-top halves, took 5/8" off each one, which saved me 1.25". Then I removed the two outer slats from the table top, saving another 2.5" off the folded length. I then chopped the legs and brought the cross members (and feet) up as close as I could to the tops in the flat, folded position. Last I moved the pivot point of the legs.

I just use one of those cheap roll-up aluminum tables from K-Mart. Packs in a duffle along with my chair/sleeping mat/tent strapped across the pillion seat. Just under the width of the panniers and if it breaks, it was only $15 and I can find another pretty much at any store.